Competencies for Interviews & Hiring

Competencies & Interviews

A common term used in the hiring process with the BC Public Service is "behavioural competencies." What exactly are behavioural competencies? They are what you should know and do to perform a job well.

Competency-based Interview Questions

Increasingly, the BC Public Service is looking not just to fill positions based on knowledge, skills and abilities, but also for the right people to fit the role. This is why we often use competency-based questions, or what you may have heard referred to as behavioural interview questions, as part of the interview process. This is your opportunity to share your experiences and let us really get to know you.

Interview videos

Learn more about how we use competency-based interview questions in our interviews:

Interview video transcripts

Competencies for Hiring

To help select the right people for the right jobs, the BC Public Service assesses key behavioural competencies as well as knowledge, skills and abilities. Using a competency-based approach to hiring shifts focus from the experience, education and training that an applicant may have, to the demonstration that the competencies have been applied on the job. A competency-based interview is your opportunity to share specific examples of past behaviours that relate to the requirements of the job.

Using competencies in hiring helps

Establish the essential qualifications for a job

Hiring managers predict who will be a high performer in a job

Provide a way to observe and measure behaviours essential to performing a job or role

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